technical foul

noun

basketball
: a foul that is assessed to a player, coach, or team typically for unsportsmanlike conduct (such as arguing with an official or taunting an opponent) and does not usually involve physical contact with an opponent while the ball is in play

called also technical

compare personal foul

Examples of technical foul in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Consider the latest eruptions that happened within hours of each other a few days ago, when the league quickly rescinded a technical foul assessed to Clark that would have put her at the threshold for a suspension. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 Cunningham has three technical fouls this season, while Carrington has just one. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026 Flagrant fouls and technical fouls come with fines owed to the league, but Cunningham is aware that her viral fame is worth more than the cost of those penalties. — Kase Wickman, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026 The referee gave Clark a technical foul just a moment later — her eighth of the season — which triggers a one-game league suspension. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for technical foul

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of technical foul was in 1896

Rhymes for technical foul

See All Rhymes for technical foul

Browse Nearby Words

technical felony
technical foul
technicalism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Technical foul.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technical%20foul. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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